Test Cricket - A Thing Of The Past?

So, let's imagine two scenarios. A consuming day of Test cricket, where runs were scored at a rate of 2.5-3 runs per over for the loss of say 4 wickets but dotted with numerous intense, intriguing and even battles between the bat and the ball. The second, being a T-20 game, and that too an absolute run fest at that, with the cheerleaders dancing and rollicking in all their grandeur and the bowlers being mercilessly massacred in the name of entertainment! What is a 15 year old kid in this day and age going to prefer? The answer quite evidently, though disturbingly is the second one!

This present generation of fast cricket has hampered the longer version to such an extent that the number of Tests in a series are dwindling by the day, as the cricket boards complain about heavy losses incurred due to the broadcasting of a Test Match. Heavy emphasis laid on the shorter versions of the game are even showing their negative effects on the quality of the Test Cricket played as the technical abilities and astute mental reservoirs of the batters are going down by the day. Test Cricket was named such as it is a complete examination of a player's skills, be it his technique or his mental fortitude. Gone are the days, when a certain Sunil Gavaskar or a Rahul Dravid would step out on the cricket field and play out an entire day to save the match single-handedly. The matches which earlier used to extend regularly to the quota of 5 days are now reduced often to merely 3-3.5 days affair.

On the other hand, heavy and lucrative deals offered by T-20 franchises around the world has often lead players preferring the league cricket over national duties. One significant example being Jerome Taylor of West Indies, who opted out of the test squad citing personal reasons but was seen playing for Pune Warriors India, an IPL franchise just a week later. The youngsters no longer display the same urge to go through the grind of extensive and exhaustive domestic circuit and then represent their nations in Test cricket as probably the Tendulkars, the Laras , the Bradmans displayed. The underlying cricket structure should make them realise, that there's no greater pleasure and honor than representing one's nation in the Test Arena and there's nothing more satisfying than donning the white jersey and winning your team a hard-fought match of Test cricket!

According to the former West Indian great, Michael Holding, Test Cricket's still the ace. He has already raised grave concerns regarding the sudden surge of money, T-20 leagues and the quality of Test Cricket being played. Hearing the tales of those big, burly, ruthless West Indian pacers of the past battling it out against the great Sunil Gavaskar, still provides goosebumps no matter what! One can watch Shane Warne bowl that magical bowl to Mik Gatting all day long! Who wouldn't crave for the flair of Lara, for the swagger of Richards ,for the perfectness of Tendulkar? Test Cricket offered it all!

Cricket boards around the world need to join hands and make sure that this format keeps on offering the delicacies it had offered in the past. A well-thought out structure should be brought forward to motivate the budding cricketers to take up test cricket. The effect of T-20 leagues and cricket should be toned down a bit, by promoting Test Cricket a bit more enthusiastically and giving it greater emphasis. Efficient plans must be devised to draw more audience to a day of Test cricket. The heritage of red ball cricket should be well preserved,after all, it's the ultimate scrutiny of character and calibre, it's TEST CRICKET!!